Thursday, April 17th
Hello, members of the Operation Katrina Team,
I am very proud of all that you have accomplished for others. In reading your stories, I also understand that you are learning lessons from the people you are serving. Be proud of all you are and all you are doing. I am very proud of all of you.
I just returned from Holy Thursday service and prayed for you at the liturgy. The Gospel shows us Jesus and his lesson to us of service. Remember your service and the people and know that you make a difference.
Take care of yourselves and I will see the Mercy students on Saturday at school. I have your report cards and transpasses for next week. Thanks for joining us, Gwynedd girls.
Sister Susan
Shay:
Being on this Operation Katrina-Sandy trip has really been an experience different than what I’ve expected it would be. Even though the storm occurred last year, there are still people that need to be attended to and homes that still need repairing. For the past four days, my group and I have been over at the Visitation Relief Center in Tom’s River performing things from gardening work to yard cleanups to making Easter baskets for kids. This is the most effort I’ve ever put into working and helping people, and it was the most fun I’ve had doing so as well. To actually see how much people appreciate our assistance and to see their reactions after we’re finished the work they requested of us is much more meaningful in person and indescribable. I was put in the most amazing group (my clique!) to work with and I can feel myself learning more about the awesome people on this team as the days go by.
Gabby:
Today, 4 teammates and I helped clean out a garage, drywall, and spackle. It was fun. I like where we are staying and I enjoy my roommates. I am enjoying our stay in Toms River however I am excited to go home.
Bryanna: On this trip so far I have helped at two different locations. One at Daytona Road and another at Tuckerton, my team helped build an entire shed, take up tile, and re-spackled. I’ve also learned how fortunate I am, a man I met can’t even have necessary neck surgery because of his insurance companies. I’m enjoying using my carpentry skills to help others who are going through a tough time. We met two sisters and hearing their story was moving. They had lived in their house almost all their lives and now some of their memories are lost. Others families have to put in boxes or in a shed what they could save. I don’t think I could be as strong as them and just box my life away.
Chelsea: Over these past few days the team has met some amazing people the told us inspirational stories. The First was at a house in Toms River owned by the Kings family. They told the team about how they were determined to move back into their house only a day after superstorm Sandy and even in the midst of tragedy miracles can happen, like the news of the Kings becoming grandparents the same day the storm ended. Another home we visited was occupied by Brenda and her eight year old son John. The team removed shrubbery from around her house in order to allow her house to be raised because there is still three feet of water in the basement form when the storm hit. She taught us the no situation is too hard to get through and that all you need to do is stay positive and persevere. One part of this trip that I really enjoy was when our meal team made breakfast for dinner and everyone really enjoyed it. It was fun to try to flip pancakes with one hand while bonding with some new friends!
Anna: This week I’ve had a lot of new experiences and met a lot of great people. On my first day of work I helped stain a fence that was later assembled by other members of the team. On Tuesday I helped paint some walls on the lower level of Mr. and Mrs. King’s house. They had almost 4 feet of water in their house after the storm and are still working to recover their home to the way it used to be. They were a very sweet couple who were very appreciative of the help we were giving them and loved chatting with us about their ten-month-old granddaughter and their pets. Yesterday I worked with a team to dig up some plants that Brenda wanted to try to save before her house will be lifted in about a month. She and her son are unable to live in their house and still have water in their basement a year and a half after the storm, and it was very interesting to hear her story. Today my group and I did a lot of moving things: we helped clean out a garage and moved debris from the backyard of a couple who were just able to return to their home within the past week. I have really enjoyed this trip so far, helping out in any way I can and making lots of new friends. With only one work day left, I’m very proud of what the entire team has accomplished so far.
Hello, members of the Operation Katrina Team,
I am very proud of all that you have accomplished for others. In reading your stories, I also understand that you are learning lessons from the people you are serving. Be proud of all you are and all you are doing. I am very proud of all of you.
I just returned from Holy Thursday service and prayed for you at the liturgy. The Gospel shows us Jesus and his lesson to us of service. Remember your service and the people and know that you make a difference.
Take care of yourselves and I will see the Mercy students on Saturday at school. I have your report cards and transpasses for next week. Thanks for joining us, Gwynedd girls.
Sister Susan
Shay:
Being on this Operation Katrina-Sandy trip has really been an experience different than what I’ve expected it would be. Even though the storm occurred last year, there are still people that need to be attended to and homes that still need repairing. For the past four days, my group and I have been over at the Visitation Relief Center in Tom’s River performing things from gardening work to yard cleanups to making Easter baskets for kids. This is the most effort I’ve ever put into working and helping people, and it was the most fun I’ve had doing so as well. To actually see how much people appreciate our assistance and to see their reactions after we’re finished the work they requested of us is much more meaningful in person and indescribable. I was put in the most amazing group (my clique!) to work with and I can feel myself learning more about the awesome people on this team as the days go by.
Gabby:
Today, 4 teammates and I helped clean out a garage, drywall, and spackle. It was fun. I like where we are staying and I enjoy my roommates. I am enjoying our stay in Toms River however I am excited to go home.
Bryanna: On this trip so far I have helped at two different locations. One at Daytona Road and another at Tuckerton, my team helped build an entire shed, take up tile, and re-spackled. I’ve also learned how fortunate I am, a man I met can’t even have necessary neck surgery because of his insurance companies. I’m enjoying using my carpentry skills to help others who are going through a tough time. We met two sisters and hearing their story was moving. They had lived in their house almost all their lives and now some of their memories are lost. Others families have to put in boxes or in a shed what they could save. I don’t think I could be as strong as them and just box my life away.
Chelsea:
Over these past few days the team has met some amazing people the told us inspirational stories. The First was at a house in Toms River owned by the Kings family. They told the team about how they were determined to move back into their house only a day after superstorm Sandy and even in the midst of tragedy miracles can happen, like the news of the Kings becoming grandparents the same day the storm ended. Another home we visited was occupied by Brenda and her eight year old son John. The team removed shrubbery from around her house in order to allow her house to be raised because there is still three feet of water in the basement form when the storm hit. She taught us the no situation is too hard to get through and that all you need to do is stay positive and persevere. One part of this trip that I really enjoy was when our meal team made breakfast for dinner and everyone really enjoyed it. It was fun to try to flip pancakes with one hand while bonding with some new friends!
Anna:
This week I’ve had a lot of new experiences and met a lot of great people. On my first day of work I helped stain a fence that was later assembled by other members of the team. On Tuesday I helped paint some walls on the lower level of Mr. and Mrs. King’s house. They had almost 4 feet of water in their house after the storm and are still working to recover their home to the way it used to be. They were a very sweet couple who were very appreciative of the help we were giving them and loved chatting with us about their ten-month-old granddaughter and their pets. Yesterday I worked with a team to dig up some plants that Brenda wanted to try to save before her house will be lifted in about a month. She and her son are unable to live in their house and still have water in their basement a year and a half after the storm, and it was very interesting to hear her story. Today my group and I did a lot of moving things: we helped clean out a garage and moved debris from the backyard of a couple who were just able to return to their home within the past week. I have really enjoyed this trip so far, helping out in any way I can and making lots of new friends. With only one work day left, I’m very proud of what the entire team has accomplished so far.